Posted on by Polk Newsroom
For 12th grade students at Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College Collegiate High School, last month’s trip to the HBCU College Fair at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex proved to be a fruitful one.
Gateway sent 21 high school seniors to the October event hosted by the HBCU Week Foundation. Ninety percent earned at least one college acceptance during the event on Walt Disney World property.
Representatives from more than 40 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were at the event, which featured more than 8,000 graduating high school seniors. More than half of the Gateway students in attendance were accepted into three or more colleges.
“We saw this as an opportunity to help them move on to college with scholarship money,” said Meesha Downing-Townsend, Principal at Gateway. “Many are first-generation(-in-college) students. It was great exposure for them.”
More than half of the Gateway attendees were first-generation-in-college students. Serenity Thomas and Lilliana Ramirez were each offered full scholarships.
“It was surreal,” said Thomas who received full-ride offers to Livingstone College in North Carolina and Tuskegee University in Alabama. “I knew I was doing well academically, but I didn’t know I was doing that well. It made me realize that all of my goals are attainable.”
Gateway is a charter school for students who have at least 11 high school credits and are no older than 21. Gateway accepts incoming 11th and 12th grade students. Gateway’s free online application for the 2025-26 Academic Year opened last week.
“The guidance counselors and teachers work closely with you to make sure you’re in the right classes,” Ramirez said. “The staff helps you with whatever you need.”
Polk State College has three charter high schools, which allow students to take college courses and get the experience of a college atmosphere throughout their high school years. In most cases, students graduate simultaneously with their high school diploma and an Associate in Arts degree at no cost to them. Two-thirds of the Gateway students to attend the fair are on track to earn their associate degrees with their diplomas in May.
“I’ve learned a lot about prioritizing school at Gateway,” Thomas added. “There are no distractions like at a traditional high school and our administrative team is amazing. Everyone is driven and focused. People push me to reach my goals. We have incredible networking opportunities.”
Thomas currently has an unweighted grade-point average of 3.89. She plans on pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and possibly attending law school afterward.
In addition to her high school diploma, Ramirez is currently pursuing her Associate in Science in Nursing. That will allow her to work as a registered nurse. Ramirez plans on majoring in neurology with the hope of one day becoming a neurosurgeon. During the HBCU College Fair, Ramirez received a full offer to Florida Memorial University.
“When I got that handshake, I felt so honored,” Ramirez recalled. “As a Mexican-American and now the first in my bloodline to go to college, it was amazing and meant so much to me. I came home and I told my mom, ‘I did it.’”
In addition to the full ride offers, Gateway students received close to $60,000 in scholarships during the HBCU College Fair. It was free to attend, and students were provided with lunch. Polk County Public Schools provided charter buses for all interested high schools.
“It’s amazing,” Downing-Townsend concluded. “I’m more than proud of them. This was great for our school, our students, and it will really help their families.”
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